Croatia Shows the World How to Bring in Tourists

After a relaxing night of sleep in my own comfy bed, Croatia keeps bobbing back up in my mind. What it like there?  One thing that again and again you think of is how old and how new the country is.

There was no country of Croatia until 1991, when in the midst of the Soviet Union falling apart, the country called Yugoslavia split into its original pieces and then went to war for four years because of it.

It’s been Croatia for ten years, but the place is full of monuments, buildings and traditions that are centuries old.  It’s full of young people, it’s vibrant, it’s not like Italy where there is such stagnation. In Croatia they have economic growth, yet there are deep problems I was told.  Unemployment nearly 20 percent, yet people fill the bars and cafes and dress in stylish clothes.

The speakers in the United Nations World Tourism Organization again and again cited the example of Croatia of how to effectively promote tourism and become a major destination. They’ve lost a lot of their original industries but excel and are a world leader in promoting tourism, getting visitors to come, and pushing their own brand and sparkling seaside resorts.

Though the city of Zagreb doesn’t see as many tourists as the seaside destinations of Dubrovnik and Split, they too have lots to show off. It’s one of the nicest small cities I’ve ever visited, clean, great smelling, and easy to navigate.

The bike tours of my first two days took me through the lower and upper parts of the city, and people have an upbeat spirit. Things aren’t too expensive, the food is good and so is the wine.  It definitely merits consideration as a great alternative to Europe…many of the same attractions at a much lower cost.